Saturday, 14 May 2016

REPORT: Bespoked The UK Handmade Bike Show 2016 (Bristol)

I really enjoyed attending the Bespoked show in 2014 when it was held in London. When I heard it was returning to Bristol in 2015, I pretty much assumed I wouldn't ever be able to attend again, or at least not easily. But at some point late last year, I made the decision to try to go this year so I put a reminder into my calendar for January to book tickets and a hotel, then another reminder 12 weeks before the event to buy advance train tickets.

And so Adam and I made a 3-day weekend out of it and attended the show on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

I apologise for the quality of these photos. I made the monumental mistake of not double-checking that I had a memory card in my camera before leaving home and then discovered the battery was dead and of course I'd not checked whether the spares were in its case. All these photos were taken on Adam's and my mobile phones, which were not always up to the job.

Links to exhibitors' websites are included where possible - just click on their names.

THE VENUE

The event was held this year in the Engine Shed next to Bristol Temple Mead train station. This venue could not be more of a contrast from the Lee Valley Velodrome where the 2014 show was held! The Engine Shed is beautiful and historic... and a much more intimate space.

THE EXHIBITORS

Yes, the venue was small (by comparison with the velodrome) but it was, as the saying goes, perfectly formed... and jam packed with stunning bicycles everywhere you looked. So let's dive right in and have a look.

BICYCLES

Even with over 6 hours on the showroom floor, I did not see everything and I did not get photos of everything I did see. I will focus on what I can show you with photos, taking the exhibitors in alphabetic order -- partly to keep myself organised and take care to not miss anyone out, but also to control any temptation to play favourites!

One point I will make is that in 2014 I was very much enthralled with titanium. Two years later, I realised while writing up this report that my choice of stands to visit and things to photograph were (whether consciously or subconsciously) influenced by my renewed interest in steel.

This year was Liz Colebrook's debut at Bespoked. Liz is based in Shropshire. I had read quite a lot about her before attending Bespoked and was keen to see what bicycles she would exhibit to demonstrate her special interest in step-through frames (whether for women or for those with reduced mobility). This unusual MTB-inspired city bike is a beautiful example of the close collaboration Liz seeks with her clients: the poem on the frame was written by the owner.

We enjoyed a brief chat with Liz about how exciting it is that more women are getting involved with framebuilding and exchanged notes on the effectiveness (or otherwise) of flat-profile wooden fenders! (The ride from home to Luton train station on the Friday was the very first time I had ridden Lucy in heavy drizzle on roads with standing water, since having her lovely Nisnas mudguards installed at Bespoked in 2014!)

Before Carbon is a quite new venture, harking back to the heyday of Italian steel bicycles. To be honest, I do not see the inspirational 'link' -- these bikes look very modern to me! Lovely and no doubt very capable but a far cry from the likes of Bianchi, Cinelli or Colnago both in terms of aesthetics and structure.

Cloud 9 is a London bike shop and workshop. It's quite close to my office and where I bought a replacement fork for my Surly Cross Check and, just this week, a set of blinky commuter lights. As it happens, bike fitter, Tom Corke, and the Cloud 9 team offer a full custom service from bike fitting to complete bike, including handbuilt wheels and advice on components. They specialise in TIG welded and fillet brazed steel frames.

Condor hardly need any introduction! London based, founded in 1948, from time to time a sponsor of professional racing teams, Condor are still making handbuilt frames across several types/styles of road bike, including racing, audax/touring, fixies and cyclocross, as well as being a dealer for other brands of bicycles (such as Brompton) and a wide range of quality accessories (from Apidura to Vaude).

Richard Craddock is one of the few people in the UK making made-to-measure custom carbon fibre frames. They are all made in Worcestershire, where every stage in carbon fabrication is done in-house from machining, fixturing, moulding, laminating and curing.

Framebuilder Tom Warmerdam is based in Southampton, producing custom steel frames. Tom won the "Best Road Bike" award at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in 2012. The detailing is quite stunning - have a look at photos posted on the Facebook page.

This company was founded by two chaps, one an engineer the other a designer, offering a range of 'stock' models but also what they call "E.S.P." or Engineered Special Projects -- a fancy way of saying custom and bespoke!

One of the more unusual developments to come out of the frame building academy is a kind of sub-brand called "Skinny". This name is used on frames built by students, which are sold on a frame-only basis. (These have been listed on Enigma's web shop, which is at the time of writing offline, presumably for updates!) These frames are well-made and completely road-worthy, built under the watchful eye of Enigma staff. They simply aren't quite "good enough" to be sold under the Enigma brand, the disqualifying features usually having to do with the neatness of the welds or the finish. As they say, practice makes perfect and there are obviously some talented fledgling frame builders out there!

I came to the show with an N+1 idea and was very pleased to have an opportunity to discuss this with Greg, who called in Sam for a discussion about its feasibility, given the geometry needed in view of my fit requirements and the limitations that using lugs would impose on tube angles. (Mixte gravel bike, anyone?)

The "New Builder Room" is often the scene where new ventures first meet the public -- usually hobby frame builders who've taken a deep breath and decided to try to make a go of it as a business (though I don't know how many have definitely given up the day jobs by the time they launch at Bespoked).

Some of the new businesses focus on innovation; others go for the 'tried and tested'. Nick Gregory is one of the latter, building practical, lightweight steel frames for racing, touring and daily transport. Nick describes his aesthetic as "inspired by the past with modern revisions". The one bike he displayed is a good example of that.

Caryn Hartley was the other/second woman frame builder at Bespoked. Caryn's background is in fine metalworks but her love of bicycles led her into building steel and stainless steel bicycles frames. She is based on South London and has recently taken on an apprentice -- a young lady by the name of Verity.

I loved seeing Woodelo's ash-framed bicycles at Bespoked in 2014 and was intrigued to see French company Keim's take on wooden frames this year. While Woodelo make gorgeous frames that can be built up with mainstream modern components, Keim take a more integrated, innovative approach, with much of the components forming part of the frame design, which are created using composite technology with both ash and high-modulous resin.

Keim's website is in English. While they do not yet have distributors, dealers or retail outlets in the UK, they told me they hope to attend a number of shows in the UK following a more official launch slated for June. Their bikes featured bikepacking-style bags made by Restrap.

Ah, Llewellyn! What do I say? I'd never heard of them before attending this show but somehow these were the bikes that jumped out and grabbed me. I spent more time on this stand -- quizzing Australian designer and builder Darrell McCulloch and chatting with his American wife Mary-Ann -- than on a good half of the rest of the show. Is it the glorious paintwork (by Joe Cosgrove) or the intricate custom lugs (which Darrell makes himself) that set these bikes head and shoulders above all the other audax/randonnee-style bikes all around them? I am not entirely sure*.

I helped Darrell and Mary-Anne promote the special offer on this bike via Facebook and Twitter. Sadly most of the replies were in the vein of "I rode a £100 beater on LEL in 2015; I don't need to pay £5,000+ to get a good bike". Missing the point entirely.

Custom rear rack designed and manufactured by Darrell (included in the sale)

the base of the Gilles Berthaud rack pack, customised by Darrell
to fit the rear rack with much more secure fasteners than mere straps

The red bike is, as I said, eight years old, which from its immaculate condition and gleaming paintwork was hard to believe. The frame is custom, finished in Darrell's own "Lucentezza" build package: stainless steel crown forks, dropouts and proprietary Llewellyn lugset designed, hand filed and hand sanded by Darrell (see the Lucentezza web page for the full list of features) -- pretty mind blowing when one considers the number of hours that goes into something like this!

Malcolm bicycles come from a southeast London workshop that launched at the Bespoked show in 2014. I believe the bike on display this year was the same Ron Cooper tribute track bike shown in 2014.

Frame builder Ashley Malcolm has an interesting background: a winning racer in Australia in his youth, followed by a few years working at Condor (above) and building relationships with Ron Cooper and also Darrell McCulloch (see Llewellyn, above).

This stainless steel touring bike was another one of our favourites, even if it was so shiny it was difficult to photograph! Meteor is named after the workshop where J R Starley built some of the very earliest modern bicycles and aims to carry on British frame building traditions including Brooks leather saddles, Reynolds tubing and Sturmey Archer hubs.

Ogre

I liked this look at this bike, so I photographed it! Only identified it later as being made by Ogre. And I'm afraid that is as much as I know...

Rob Mather is a Bristol-based frame builder. His touring bicycle was smart and functional but I suspect barely got a look-in due to the extraordinary machine beside it!

The "Adjustable Geometry Bike" has a built-in 'three-channel analogue data recorder', designed to measure the rider’s steering direction, steering torque and lean angle. The head tube angle is adjustable as is, separately, the trail. Tweak those in isolation or in combination and see the effect on the rider's control of the bike. Ingenious. And quite steam-punky in appearance.

Saffron is the brand of Matthew Sowter's custom frames. Matthew worked at Enigma before launching out on his own in 2009 and his Saffron bicycles have won a number of awards, including Bespoked's "Best Utility Bike" (2013), "Peer Award" and "Best in Show" (2014) and "Best Cyclocross Bicycle" (2015). Saffron's workshop is in Woolwich, London.

I have to say, the Saffron website offers one of the clearest descriptions of the order and build process I've yet seen. Every frame builder should be able to communicate expectations this well.

Shand

Shand has been around a few years now, targeting the "adventure bike" sector of the market. I had heard of them and remember seeing them at the Bespoked show in 2014 but I pricked up my ears this past winter when I heard that, after a somewhat tumultuous relationship with the prototype Genesis Datum that she rode in last year's Transcontinential Race, Emily Chappell has got herself a custom Shand Stooshie for this year's Transcon (and the rest of her life, I expect!)

Sven won the Touring Bicycle award in 2014 with a touring bike set up with twist-grip shifters on drop bars, plus a Rohloff 14-speed internal geared hub. It was a gorgeous bike, even if not a build I'd be happy with myself. I had a chat with someone on the stand about it at the time and was told that the shifters are an increasingly common request. When Adam saw the bike exhibited this year with that setup, he exclaimed "now, that's a brilliant idea!" (So I may be in the minority here!)

Again, Sven showed excellence in build and finish and practicality. But the real insights into framebuilder Darren Sven's philosophy came from listening to his talk on Saturday morning about designing and building a 'Forager Bicycle" for TV presenter/chef/campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall. The result was both impressive and really appealing. (More on this below in the Talks section of this post.)

Both the tourer and the Forager Bike are perfect examples of where a skilled custom framebuilder can play a vital role in not just building a technically sound and aesthetically beautiful product but in fulfilling the needs of individual riders, to make his or her dreams and ambitions come alive, whether the bicycle is central to that or an indispensable tool in a non-cycling endeavour.

Darren Sven is based in Dorset. While his focus and primary interests lean towards touring, he can build just about any kind of bicycle, from time trial bikes to 1930s style English roadsters to fixies, whether welded, fillet brazed or lugged. Darren also undertakes servicing and structural repair work.

Adam had no idea why I made a beeline to talk to Peter Bird at Swallow...! I've been hankering for some time for a tandem touring bike with a stoker's cockpit that fits me. I love our Circe Helios for its versatility but I still haven't found the right set up to fit me when we want to take it away from its cargo-hauling duties to ride a Friday Night Ride to the Coast -- much less a way to guarantee we can get the right set up, every time, quickly and reliably. (It generally takes at least 3 test rides before I can say "okay, I'm happy to give this a go".)

Peter is a very experienced designer and builder of tandems. Swallow is also the only UK distributor for Co-Motion (a Eugene, Oregon manufacturer of a wide range of bikes aimed at maximum adventure). One day I would like to explore our options, by paying a visit to Swallow for a full fitting and brainstorming session.

This unusual "reinvent the (drivetrain)" bicycle was on display in the New Builders area. The concept is chainless, featuring what is described as LinkDrive technology (claimed to be protected under patent, which I've not checked; the name is certainly not a protected trade mark and it likely never will be due to its descriptiveness).

It's an interested novelty but I can't see this ever becoming a commercial success. (Do feel free to give me a dig in 10 years' time if I'm wrong!)

This could be quite the resource! Pinkerton claim they are able to "fabricate any absent or damaged components to bring any cycle back to original specification and to a ride able condition, sourcing information and essential detail, from our original cycle catalogues".

THE TALKS

3-D Printing Titanium Bike Parts

Mirada Performance Products have collaborated with Reynolds Technology and Ted James to create a titanium frame weighing less than 1kg, utilising 3D printed aerospace-grade titanium lugs. This prototype was unveiled at Bespoked. Mirada were keen to emphasise this is not a frame that will be built up into a complete bicycle but rather a technology demonstrator.

The presentation was given by engineers who do not identify as being cyclists but who are keenly interested in bicycles as a sector ripe for further technological developments. They described their methodology and rigorous testing regimes -- all very interesting, if a bit esoteric from my point of view.

"Technology Demonstrator", not a Bicycle Frame

The Making of the Forager Bike

This was possibly the most intriguing bicycle -- and talk -- of the show for me. There's a fair amount of press out there about it with far more detail than I can muster. My notes from Darren Sven's talk are scribbles about components and design specifications and read something like this:

front wheels have 33mm play (as used in wheelchairs as can't put suspension in the frame when hauling front loads)

build includes components from as many British manufacturing companies as possible

this is a prototype with possibility of going into production with changes Darren would like to make (Rohloff IGH for example; also steering damper; possible electric assist)

London Bicycle Couriers' Stories

Julian Sayarer and Emily Chappell spoke to a Bespoked representative in the form of a 'TV breakfast show' style interview, before taking questions from a packed-out audience.

Both are 'promoting' books they've written which have been published this year: Emily's "What Goes Round" and Julian's "Messenger". The common theme of both books is the London cycle courier scene. Emily worked as a courier for 6 years, Julian 3.

But this is not a case of "read one, you've read them both". The authors' voices are very distinct. While both articulate, erudite and engaging, Emily is a storyteller, Julian a 'preacher'. Emily's story is about sociology, Julian's about politics.

The other common thread is their experiences having cycled more of the world than most of us will ever do: Emily from Wales to Japan (plus Iceland, Alaska and part of the Transcontinental Race from Belgium as far as Slovenia), Julian around the world. But again their experience comes across very differently: Emily undertakes epic cycling challenges to 'prove herself' (usually to herself), Julian to make a point to the world.

The fundamental differences in how these two university graduates relate to the world come across in their writing styles. Both are informative and very well written. Emily's is a page turner, while Julian's.... not so much (for me at least). But don't let me be the judge: read them both yourself!

I must include mention of Mark Dodson, an amazing freestyle amateur artist who just loves drawing and painting on any surface he can get permission for! Someone at Enigma (Greg?) knows him and through that contact, Mark was invited to Bespoked as a roving frame painter. One of the bicycles photographed above sports Mark's work [did you spot it?], and I caught him in action at the Enigma stand.

And finally, two mysteries.....

My photos include three of bicycles for which I did not make any notes. I have no idea which stands they were on and am hoping that a reader can help identify them.

I hope to attend again next year and -- fingers crossed -- will be able to provide a full report much more quickly. (May I put in a request now please for no family members to die around that time? Or indeed ever... but that's another story for another day.)

Thanks Tim, I was hoping you may have noticed these. Yes, the 'double tandem' is another Petor Georgallou creation - I found both mentioned in Anna Schwinn's article in the Handbuilt Bicycle News e-magazine.

Thanks for yours and Adams' interest in covering this event. It's always fun for me to see where designers are heading. I found the Beaumont step-through style quite interesting- good to see a women frame builder elaborating on this concept. Also, like you, I loved the all red Hartley tourer. It has chunky tires and the red rear rack seems to virtually disappear and/or lends the effect of a skirt guard! So cool.

Jayne's pretty much set on the Beaumont. We were supposed to be down there this weekend but health issues have got in the way. We also really liked the Hartley and spent some time chatting with Caryn. If she wasn't so far away she'd be on our list. Also really enjoyed talking to Richard Hallett and if we were buying for me, he'd be in the running.

As we were specifically looking for a step through disc tourer for Jayne, I was disappointed with how few were on show. Practically everyone said that they could build what Jayne wanted just non to actually see

Step through disc brake tourer - yes! Adam and I have been talking about this. There seems to be a presumption -- if not that women don't tour as much as men, as I think that's an unsustainable proposition and most in the industry know it, even if reluctantly -- that women who want to tour are happy to swing a leg over a diamond frame plus the width of two fully loaded panniers. The women who are no longer willing to do that tend to be very experienced touring cyclists, like Jayne, who know what works for them and know what they want but are getting older (or at least old enough to no longer be willing to compromise, in other words, old enough not to put up with the crap of what others tell them they need!)

Adam's first thought was, it's a limited market. But I don't think so (and he quickly saw my point of view!) Admittedly it's a latent one, just waiting to be tapped. Bespoked may not be the ideal showcase for tapping into that but surely more frame builders should be putting photos of this "what real women really want" kind of bike on their websites, especially in galleries featuring customers' bikes.

I hope to pursue my own N+1 idea with (probably) Enigma -- something that I think would really appeal to a lot of touring cyclists of both sexes but especially women -- and I intend to 'insist' that photos get published afterwards so the wider public can see this kind of bike is not only possible but available if you know what to ask for.

My design brief poses two areas of difficulty. One is peculiar to me: my need for a high stack / short reach geometry and the impact this has on joint angles, especially the downtube-headtube joint and the entire bottom bracket cluster.

The second challenge is more general but still comes into play because my aesthetic preference is for all the pairs of stays (top lateral tubs through to rear drop out; seat stays, chainstays) to be absolutely straight. How to accommodate clearance for wide tyres without bends or curves in the rear triangle and without ‘splaying’ the twin lateral top tubes as they pass by the seatpost? My knees brush against the top tubes on my Puch Princess mixtes already so angling them wider to create wider clearance behind the seatpost isn’t a viable option for me.

As for the built method, my preference of course would be for lugs. But they may need to be custom-made (by Darrell McCulloch via his UK distributor Ceeway). I’m not sure yet what cost constraints I’d want to put on this project as a one-off for myself.

If not lugs, then fillet brazing is the way to go and I do quite like that look. Of course TIG welding is totally possible but a last resort for me, for aesthetic reasons.

So there we go. If discussions with the designer and framebuilder at Enigma get the thumbs up on structural feasabilty, then I’ll see about progressing this and of course will blog about it.

Oh and then there’s the choice of steel tubing for ride quality… so many decisions!

"The women who are no longer willing to do that tend to be very experienced touring cyclists, like Jayne, who know what works for them and know what they want but are getting older (or at least old enough to no longer be willing to compromise, in other words, old enough not to put up with the crap of what others tell them they need!)"

Gosh, Rebecca, I think you hit this point quite well. This certainly describes my needs to a T! I ordered a bike...er...though I'm reluctant to talk about it quite yet, besides the bike won't arrive until July. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.